Religion divides; Spirituality unites.

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I truly believe God answers our prayers and talks to us every day. We may not always hear because we don’t want to listen, but He always talks to us. And of course there is the issue of us no liking what He might have to say.

“You know how it seems like over the past thirty years the Left won the contest for social policy – for liberalism, equal rights, against homophobia and racism – and yet the Right won all the arguments on economic party? Well sometimes I almost – almost – wish that it had been the other way around. A less open and more traditional society, but with the pay-off that we would at least live under a more equitable economic system, without unemployment, poverty, or exploitation…”

John Glover was a famous English landscape painter. This is a painting of Ullswater Lake in the English Lake District and was likely on or near land that he owned. Glover subsequently moved to Australia on his 64th birthday in 1831 and purchased a large tract of land in what is now Tasmania. He subsequently became known as the father of Australian landscape painting. It seems fitting that “Ullswater, Early Morning” should hang in the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It’s as if God himself is bringing together the best of England and Australia and blessing both of them.

When I look at this landscape it speaks to me with one quiet word, “shalom”, a Hebrew word that might be rendered in English as “flourishing”. In this painting all is well with a stunningly beautiful yet tranquil…